Newton Abbot will be officially launched as a “cycle hub” on Saturday (17 April)

The event will be marked with the County Council's second cycling fun day event in Devon, this time being held at Newton Abbot Racecourse from 10am to 4pm on Saturday.

Regular cyclists, absolute beginners and non-cyclists will have the opportunity to enjoy a ride, opportunity to cycle around the race course track and for more experienced cyclists, an on road route in Kingsteignton. Free bike hire for an hour will be available.

Everyone who takes part in a ride will be asked to fill in a questionnaire to give feedback on their experience. There will also be the chance to become involved in the Cycle Devon programme where volunteers will be provided with information, incentives, activities and advice to help them enjoy cycling more regularly. Everyone who signs up will be awarded a cinema ticket voucher and a chance to win a new bike.

As well as the cycle rides, there will also be a spectacular display of Mountain Bike Trials by Devon County Council's Cycling Ambassador Andrei Burton, and a display of all types of bikes including everything from old fashioned roadsters to disability bikes.

There will also be a cycling circus and police will be carrying out free bike security marking. Qualified mechanics from local bike shops will be available at the Dr Bike clinic, offering a free health check for your bike.

Brush up on vital skills with sessions to learn how to fix a puncture under supervision of an expert, and Devon County Council cycle instructors will be on hand to help children learn to ride without stabilisers. Adults and children can also fine tune their cycling skills on the cycle obstacle course.

There will even be the opportunity to try the “Smoothie Bike”, where you can pedal your way to a healthy refreshment and burn calories at the same time.

The Mid-Devon Cycling Club will be at the fun day promoting numerous events that cater from all ages and abilities. Club members will be present all day to answer questions on how to get started including making use of the club's unique cycle loan scheme. The club will be bringing its competition rollers to the show, so those who wish can see how long they take to cover a distance varying from 440 yards to 1 mile.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation, said: “Our first cycling fun day in Exeter was a great success and more than 100 people who don't cycle regularly were able to enjoy a relaxing cycle ride. That's what this project is all about; encouraging people to take up cycling. Even if you haven’t got a bike there will be some available at each of the events for people to try, so everyone can come along."